Counter or heel stiffener for boots and shoes



V. B. MORTON. V (hunter or Heel stiffener for Boots and Shoes.

No. 226,771. Patehted April 20,188Q.

7 bvama9 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

VEGA B. MORTON, 0E OERALVO, KENTUCKY.

COUNTER OR HEEL STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOESV SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 226,771, dated April 20, 1880.

' Application filed January 31, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VEGA BERRY MORTON, ofOeralvo, in the county of Ohio and State of Kentucky, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Counter and Heel Braces orStiffeners for Boots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, referencebein g had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of a shoe pro-- vided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is arear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the brace'orstiffener detached, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the fiat blank forformingthe brace or stiffener.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in. all thefigures.

This invention relates to devices for stiffening the heels and countersof boots and shoes, and preventing them from running over; and itconsists in the construction of a sheet-metal brace which is attached tothe outsidepf the heel and quarters, substantially as hereinafter morefully set forth.

In the drawings, A is the shoe or boot, and B is the brace, which ispreferably cut by suitably-constructed dies from a bar or plate of sheetmetal and pressed or struck up to fit the curve of the heel. This braceis rounded at the top and sides, where it has a series of three or morecountersunk holes or perforations, a a a, and is provided with threed0wnward'projecting fingers, (denoted by b I) 1),) each of which has acountersunk perforation,

c. The metal in these fingers should be thicker than in the body of thebrace; hence I prefer 4.0

to cut or stamp this from a bar or plate that is thicker at one edgethan at the other; orit may be cast, in a suitably-constructed mold,from malleable iron, brass, copper, or any other suitable metal, andpainted orjapanned 5 afterward, to avoid its being too conspicuous whenattached upon a boot or shoe.

This brace is secured upon the shoe in the manner clearly shown in Figs.1 and 2 of the drawings-via, by rivets or screws inserted through thecountersunk perforations a 0-- when it will effectually prevent thisfrom running over on the sides orsettin g back at the heel. It isintended to be used chiefly on cheap or coarse goods intended for roughwear, Where strength and d urability are of more importance thanneatuess and elegance of appearance; but it is obvious that its use isnot limited to any particular kind or class of goods.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States- The metallic eoncavo-convexheel-stiffener B, cut in the form shown, and adapted to entirelysurround the heel of a boot or shoe upon the outside of the upper, andprovided with attaching-fingers b I) b, for attachment to the heel, allsubstantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaflixed my signature

